Archive for November, 2015

As mentioned below, now I have completed covers for all the released Classic Who DVDs, I’m tidying up some of my earlier efforts that haven’t had re-releases (thus providing an excuse for me to revisit them). Without wishing to go crazy or whitewash the past (or make anyone feel compelled to print them out again), these are mostly minor tweaks, replacing some low-quality images (mainly of the Doctor) with higher-resolution versions, but without changing the overall design.

Available now at Velvet Jacket are the final four covers for re-released stories: The Aztecs, The Claws of Axos, The Green Death and The Ark in Space. These are mostly just upgrades of the originals with better picture sources (plus, I like to think, greater skill on my part) and updated Special Features details on the back, but you might notice at least one is a complete redesign, and the others have been tinkered with to greater or lesser degrees. You can read about their creation here.

These four covers finally bring Velvet Jacket’s primary goal to completion: alternative covers for all the DVD releases of broadcast Classic Doctor Who — and it’s only taken me 14 years! There have been gluts and gaps along the way but I’ve greatly enjoyed producing the covers. As stated at the outset, these were made for my own pleasure and use but positive feedback from friends and a burgeoning demand for alternative covers when the range first began led me to make them available online. As the official covers improved over the years, interest in alternatives died away somewhat but, having started, I was always determined to finish my range. I’d like to thank all those who have stuck with me. I know back in the early days of the Who DVDs, replacing the covers seemed a risky venture as you could never be certain the artist would give up half way and leave you with either uncovered stories or wasted print-outs. So I’m glad that anyone who has been using my covers for their discs can now be assured of a consistent bookshelf.

On that point, the diligent among you will realise there was more to the Who DVD range than just the standard stories and a few supplementary releases were included. K-9 and Company has been covered (if you can find him on the site) but there was also the unfinished Season 17 finale Shada, the 1994 extended documentary More Than 30 Years in the TARDIS, and the 2005 online animation pilot Scream of the Shalka. As these aren’t part of the standard range — and more practically, images from them are limited — I don’t plan to do covers for these three (at least for the moment). What I have done, therefore, is produce VJ-style spines for them which you can slip into the cases so that your bookshelf at least looks consistent.

So does that mean Velvet Jacket is all done and dusted? Well, perhaps not quite. Like any creative, I could tinker and tweak my work for ever and still never be 100% satisfied, but now the range is complete and people can confidently choose to re-cover all their DVDs, I don’t want to keep revising covers they may already have printed out (which I appreciate is not cheap). However, I have identified five releases from the early days that haven’t since been reissued (all on page two of the cover gallery) which have elements I’d like to redo if I can now find better quality photos — and one I was never happy with so may redesign completely. So there may yet be a handful of further updates.

For now, thanks again to everyone who made it this far — I hope you feel the project has been worth it.